The Mainers, a team that plays in the NECBL — or New England Collegiate Baseball League — hosted the Valley Blue Sox at Goodall Park, riding a seven-game losing streak and a tough 2-11 start to the season.
Goodall Park, a little over an hour drive from Brunswick, is the home of the Mainers, hosting college baseball players looking to expand their skills over a 44- game regular-season schedule.
Just looking at the Mainers’ roster, there are players from throughout the U.S., from as far away as Scottsdale, Ariz., and Bellevue, Wash., to as close as Falmouth, Bangor and Oakland, Maine.
The NECBL has 13 teams competing for bragging rights, each looking for a league title while developing NCAA talent.
Jacob Ouellette, who once worked as a sports reporter at The Times Record, is the vice chairman of the board of directors of the Mainers and serves as a public address announcer on Mainer game days. His family, along with twin brother Josh, have served as a host family for the Mainers off and on since 2004.
“I have been involved with this organization in one way or another since 2004 when my family started hosting some of these players. I broadcasted on the radio and internet over the years. Any chance I have to be behind a microphone, I will take it,” said Ouellette, who remembered getting started with the organization. “Before my brother and I went off to college, we hosted players from 2004-2009. My parents took a year off, then hosted again in 2011 and returned again this season. My brother has married and this year he has taken in a player into his house. It is hard to believe, but we have been involved with this since the sixth grade.”
Ryland Kerr is from Washington state and plays college baseball at Eastern Kentucky University. The second baseman, who had never been to Maine prior to joining the Mainers, has enjoyed the experience so far.
“My coach knew about the opportunity and presented it to me,” said Kerr. “I had heard nothing but great things about playing here and I gave it a shot. This is a blast. Life is just baseball, and the host families treat us so well. The community has embraced us.
“This is huge for me. Getting together with different guys, you learn new things and pick up different things. I feel that I have grown, and I haven’t even been here a month yet.”
Recruiting players
Ouellette said each team its own style. The Mainers’ organization has created relationships with NCAA coaches, leading to players heading to Sanford to play during the summer months.
“Sometimes it is red-shirt guys, sometimes some of a college’s top players,” Ouellette said. “We bring in a nice mix of players, from top colleges to junior colleges. We have Vanderbilt players, Michigan. Most of the players don’t know each other when it starts, so it is nice to see them come together.”
Ouellette stressed the importance of the host families.
“That is what these guys rely on, to have a place a stay. A lot of these players have never been to Maine, then stay with people they don’t know. We find those people who want to open up their homes for the summer, a home away from home for our players,” Ouellette said.
And the Mainers have also brought in players from Maine.
“We have a player out of Bangor (pitcher Justin Courtney of the University of Maine). We love seeing some of the local talent here. It appeals to the Maine media, and we want to see how the players from Maine are doing,” Ouellette said.
Another local player is Connor Aube, who was a standout in baseball and football at Falmouth High School. Aube currently plays baseball at the University of Tennessee-Martin.
“It was great coming back here, and my coach wanted to send me back here so I could see my family after five months away,” Aube said. “I was all for it and I am glad that I have this opportunity.”
As far as the on-field product goes, a 2-11 start hasn’t taken away the team’s enthusiasm. A 6-1 win over first-place Valley on Saturday showed the Mainers’ potential. Trailing 1-0 in the fifth, Kerr got things going for the Mainers with a double. He scampered to third on a wild pitch and to the plate when the throw to third sailed into left field.
Sanford put up four runs in the seventh, with Jimmy Kerr driving in a pair with a single, and an RBI single by Ryland Kerr (2-for-4) in the eighth closed the scoring. On the mound, Courtney pitched six solid frames on five hits, one run, one walk and five strikeouts, while relievers Perez Knowles (win) and Jackson Gillis combined for three scoreless innings on two strikeouts and three walks.
“This team has everything that we need to win,” said Aube. “We have yet to catch a break. There is not a lot of good baseball in Maine this time of the year, and there are kids from all over the country. It is good baseball to watch.”
“Everybody loves to win, but these guys are trying to improve their skills in college, with the dreams of most to play professional baseball,” Ouellette said. “The coaches teach these kids first and to win second.”
Another plus in taking in a Mainers game is the affordability. An adult ticket goes for just $5, with children 12 and under, seniors and military personnel/retirees paying just $3.
Then there is the intimate feel, with seating at Goodall Park right on top of the field. The Mainers offer concession stands, with typical baseball fare — hot dogs, hamburgers, pulled pork sandwiches, nachos, pizza, fried dough and so much more.
“Everyone loves pro baseball, but this is more of an intimate feel, a small ball park, college baseball players that are not getting paid, who are playing for the passion of the sport,” said Ouellette. “It is a family-friendly atmosphere. We get everybody involved as much as we can.”
The Mainers are back at home today through Wednesday, hosting Keene, North Adams and Upper Valley over the next three days at 6:30 p.m.
For more information on the Mainers, go to www.sanfordmainers.com.
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